House of the Dragon Episode 13: The Burning Mill

On the borders of House Bracken and House Blackwood lands in the Riverlands, Bracken knights led by Ser Aeron Bracken clash verbally with Blackwood men under Davos Blackwood over moved boundary stones, with insults flying about supporting Rhaenyra Targaryen; the argument escalates into the deadly **Battle of the Burning Mill**, the first bloodshed in the feud between the Greens and Blacks.

Daemon Targaryen lands his dragon Caraxes on Kingspyre Tower at Harrenhal, enters with Dark Sister drawn, and meets minimal resistance before confronting castellan Ser Simon Strong, who quickly bends the knee to Rhaenyra, declaring for her over his kinsman Lord Larys Strong—a "kinslayer" he blames for his father and brother's deaths in a fire, the first at Harrenhal since Aegon the Conqueror. That night, Daemon hears pounding at his quarters, finds nothing, then follows a humming woman's voice through the corridors to a vision of a young girl resembling Rhaenyra stitching a boy's severed head—her nephew Jaehaerys—back onto his body.

In King's Landing, Helaena visits Alicent Hightower, forgiving her and sharing grief over lost children with empathy for the smallfolk. Ser Criston Cole, now Hand of the King, plans to march on Harrenhal to secure Riverlands loyalties and use it as a base; as he prepares to depart with troops, Alicent's brother Gwayne Hightower unexpectedly joins. King Aegon II wants to ride Sunfyre but is persuaded by Lord Larys Strong to stay; Aegon then names Larys Master of Whisperers.

At Dragonstone, Erryk and Arryk Cargyll receive a joint burial. Rhaenys urges Rhaenyra that Alicent might still avert war. Rhaenyra sends her young sons Joffrey, Aegon the Younger, and Viserys to the Eyrie under Lady Jeyne Arryn's wardship for House Targaryen's continuity. Baela Targaryen reports spotting Criston Cole's force near Harrenhal; the council pushes for dragon strikes, but Rhaenyra rewards Mysaria's prior warning with a court position and heeds her advice on infiltrating King's Landing. Reading Alicent's recent message, Rhaenyra disguises herself as a septa and sneaks into the Red Keep to meet Alicent secretly, where they discuss Viserys's deathbed words about "Aegon," their grief, and failed chances for peace, but Alicent insists it's too late as events are unstoppable.

En route to Harrenhal, Criston Cole's group panics at the sight of Baela on Moondancer diving from above; Cole orders a retreat to nearby woods, evading her as she circles and flies off. Baela reports the sighting to Rhaenyra's councilors.